I find info suggesting they are edible, but they were more recently listed as not edible because a few deaths were suggested to relate to them, i cant find further info on who determine this, but there are people that still eat them and enjoy them
I think I found an angel wing cluster before and it was distinguishable from the white oysters I collected. Oysters are kind rubbery or meaty, and the angel wing was brittle in contrast. It did look similar to me as a beginner at the time. It wasn't as fleshy but I could see how it could be confused.
Also I go to the same big pile of maple for Oyster but whatever the angel was growing on was highly rotted, and it is suggested it grows on coniferous trees.
The angel wing I found also had a nice smell, but it wasn't the same smell I find oysters have.
You should have an easy time finding info on both mushrooms

The mushroom is also more than just the fruiting body. The mushroom is a network of mycelium spread out over a large amount of material under ground or in the tree. Even if you pick every single one, I'd bet they'd be in no short supply.
Picking a few to properly ID them is the best direction you can take to learn. Even if you want to cultivate more, it means you can get a better idea on how to provide ideal conditions
Mushroom mycelium can be truly massive. The world's largest organism is a honey mushroom, spanning over two miles under ground. Fruiting bodies can be found over this whole span.
Another practice people commit to sometimes is after cleaning up the mushrooms, the remains are brought back to, or spread at a new location

I had another great day! I found more blewits in a different white pine forest. T
Then went for a walk around Jack pine and found jacks. Then went to a red pine forest. There is some birch in there that have polypores stuck on them I find hilarious. I have some birch logs I stuffed in my front yard growing them.
Then I went to another forest and collected greenery
What a great day. (I did work today between all that)... I'm not very knowledgeable about jacks, I have some general rules for the group until I learn more, I did see a mushroom hunter getting some the other day and he took them a bit more mature than I collected... They seem sticky and Im not sure I'm very excited to try...

Thanks for all your help Dave.
I spent about 40 minutes after work today going over a low 800 sqft section and sorted through several different trichs and hebelomas and a few additional mystery mushrooms. The forest floor was covered
I didn't take many; for all I know I could be allergic as it seems some people are, and I tried different levels of maturity so I can see what I consider the cut off and get used to the different textures per stages.
Though the very mature ones seem more tan; I will probably not pick them as it seems they turn tan at a later level of maturity when they won't be ideal to eat, and I think at that stage is when they could be most likely confused.

Yeah, I'm not a very adventurous cook yet. Earlier this season was rough hunting so I had stir fried pheasant back with salt and pepper and butter and that was it. It was good. It gets me acquainted with the flavors first.
I have Elm and blewits in my catch I'm going to cook tonight with some tasty animals. I have a rabbit in the fridge and a delicious looking rooster in my yard. Something is bound to pair. Kinda wondering if elms would gi with pink wine, in which case maybe rabbit and mushroom pie would be good.

Coprinus atramentarius is the mushroom most associated to this situation, though I have heard and read stories too were people ate inky caps and alcohol on many occasions and were just fine, then suddenly ( some dishes down the road) experienced extremely unhappy symptoms.
I have also come across some books suggesting that all inky caps have this inhibitor to a lesser degree and warn of it, or warn of over consuming inky caps, and have read too that only atramentarius are problematic.
I personally would rather lean on the side of caution if I find any published material to suggest it may not be a good idea, but maybe I'm missing out

I know. Ill break them up more in the future. When it comes to ground mushrooms like these I figured as far as I could go for descriptive title I'd have three threads called "tan-ish colored ground musbroom"
the grey cap is a tricholoma
There was a bright white print count his morning.
Top right should be hebeloma. It's spore print matches previous finds. It's a light brown print.
Bottom left I need to further investigate. It is a lot bigger than the helebolas I found. Also this morning it made my whole kitchen smell Strongly, though now that you say that it doesn't have a mushroom smell. More sour maybe....like radishes. I think I am going to compare this sample to the previous collected helebolas as I'm not feeling sure on either. It has a cream colored print
The last one I am including a photo of the print. I think it's a Blewit. I have a hard time believing it though. I did another survey of the area and could literally spend all day picking and still leave a lot behind

Including something toxic in a group is on my mind as I'm moving on to ground mushroom groups.
You are also right about the squirrels. They can technically eat some species toxic to us. It's not 100%. For me it's fun observation and many help me ID later. Maybe some mushrooms squirrels, voles, mice prefer and it can be an indicator depending on whos eating what.
I observe a lot if forest stuff and have only found nibbling on Amanitas in red squirrel territories. I have not found black squirrels to care for them or other toxic specimens thus far but I do have to race them for the oysters! It isn't 100% but more times than not, it's the mushroom I want to eat that they savagely take a bite out of, just one bite, every square inch, so I don't get any

Usually I find one elm Oyster all alone. Today I took my son out and found lots along the river. We had fun. They are usually high up so I lifted him up so he can pick them out of the tree. What a nice November day.

What is the defining feature you use to determine if something is a Blewit?
I know cortinarius is similar, including the cross section showing the gills tucking up at the stem, but it has a brown print. The blewits in your hand dont look like they have that tuck up of the gills.
They look like what I found today but I am waiting for a print as I suspected they were a kind of tricholoma. Some did have a blue color, but most were very bland in color like what you have so I didn't think they were blewits but wasn't sure how much one species of trichs could vary in color.
I am printing them now but was expecting a white print (trich) but is there other look alikes to consider? Do tricholomas ever have a blue coloring?
If what I found is blewits I'm set for life because there was butt loads.
Do Entolomas grow as late as blewits?
I am looking into Entolomas now as,it's not one I know much about, but does the stem stay straight where it attaches to the ground or does it have a bulbish bottom? That'll be my last question for now......

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